Map of Nigeria | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Following nearly 16 years of military rule a new constitution was adopted in 1999 and a peaceful transition to civilian government completed. The new president faces the daunting task of rebuilding a petroleum-based economy whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement and institutionalizing democracy. In addition the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions if it is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability.


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Location: Western Africa bordering the Gulf of Guinea between Benin and Cameroon

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N 8 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries

Coastline: 853 km

Maritime claims

Climate: varies; equatorial in south tropical in center arid in north

Terrain: southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast plains in north

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum tin columbite iron ore coal limestone lead zinc natural gas hydropower arable land

Land use

Irrigated land: 9,570 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: periodic droughts

Geography


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Population: 123,337,822
Growth rate: 2.67% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 34.1% (1992-93 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Nigeria which is Africa's most populous country is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29% Yoruba 21% Igbo (Ibo) 18% Ijaw 10% Kanuri 4% Ibibio 3.5% Tiv 2.5%

Languages: English (official) Hausa Yoruba Igbo (Ibo) Fulani

Religions: Muslim 50% Christian 40% indigenous beliefs 10%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.67% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 40.16 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 13.72 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.28 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation; desertification; recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 74.18 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 5.66 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic transitioning from military to civilian rule

Capital: Abuja

Administrative divisions: 36 states and 1 territory*; Abia Abuja Federal Capital Territory* Adamawa Akwa Ibom Anambra Bauchi Bayelsa Benue Borno Cross River Delta Ebonyi Edo Ekiti Enugu Gombe Imo Jigawa Kaduna Kano Katsina Kebbi Kogi Kwara Lagos Nassarawa Niger Ogun Ondo Osun Oyo Plateau Rivers Sokoto Taraba Yobe Zamfara

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 1 October (1960)

Constitution: NA 1999 new constitution adopted

Legal system: based on English common law Islamic law and tribal law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly consists of Senate (109 seats three from each state and one from the Federal Capital Territory; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and House of Representatives (360 seats members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Provisional Ruling Council; Federal Court of Appeal judges are appointed by the federal government on the advice of the Advisory Judicial Committee

Political parties and leaders: All People's Party or APP [Alhaji Yusuf ALI]; Alliance for Democracy or AD [Yusuf MAMMAN]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Barnabas GEMADE]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB C CCC ECA ECOWAS FAO G-15 G-19 G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Inmarsat Intelsat Interpol IOC ISO ITU MINURSO NAM OAU OPCW OPEC PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNIKOM UNITAR UNMIBH UNMIK UNMOP UNMOT UNU UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) white and green

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The oil-rich Nigerian economy long hobbled by political instability corruption and poor macroeconomic management is undergoing substantial economic reform under the new civilian administration. Nigeria's former military rulers failed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector which provides 20% of GDP 95% of foreign exchange earnings and about 65% of budgetary revenues. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has not kept up with rapid population growth and Nigeria once a large net exporter of food now must import food. In 2000 Nigeria is likely to receive a debt-restructuring deal with the Paris club and a $1 billion loan from the IMF both contingent on economic reforms. Increased foreign investment combined with high world oil prices should push growth to over 5% in 2000-01.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.7% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $970 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: cocoa peanuts palm oil corn rice sorghum millet cassava (tapioca) yams rubber; cattle sheep goats pigs; timber; fish

Industries: crude oil coal tin columbite palm oil peanuts cotton rubber wood hides and skins textiles cement and other construction materials food products footwear chemicals fertilizer printing ceramics steel

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 42.844 million
By occupation agriculture: 54%
By occupation industry: 6%
By occupation services: 40% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 28% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 34.1% (1992-93 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 12.5% (1999 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $13.1 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 95% cocoa rubber
Partners: US 35% Spain 11% India 9% France 6% Italy (1998 est.)

Imports: $10 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: machinery chemicals transport equipment manufactured goods food and live animals
Partners: UK 13% US 12% Germany 10% France 9% Netherlands (1998 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $29 billion (1999 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: nairas (N) per US$1 - 96.261 (October 1999) 99 (1999) 21.886 (1998) 21.886 (1997) 21.895 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 14.75 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 13.717 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 405,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 10,000 (1999)

Telephone system: an inadequate system further limited by poor maintenance; major expansion is required and a start has been made

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 5 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $236 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 0.7% (FY99)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 71 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 2,042 km; petroleum products 3,000 km; natural gas 500 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 8,575 km consisting of the Niger and Benue rivers and smaller rivers and creeks

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad the lack of which led to border incidents in the past has been completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon Chad Niger and Nigeria; dispute with Cameroon over land and maritime boundaries around the Bakasi Peninsula is currently before the ICJ; maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed jurisdiction over oil-rich areas in the Gulf of Guinea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: facilitates movement of heroin en route from Southeast and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and North America; increasingly a transit route for cocaine from South America intended for European East Asian and North American markets